URUGUAY · HEALTH
Key Facts
—Who. Uruguay’s president, Yamandú Orsi, and anesthetist Inés Miralles, convicted of manslaughter.
—What. Orsi restored a five-year ban on her practising medicine, which Health Minister Cristina Lustemberg had cut to three.
—Why. Her patient, paediatrician Soledad Barrera, died; Barrera’s mother had asked the government to revoke the cut.
—Next. Miralles had a separate court challenge pending in September; its current status is unconfirmed.
—Power Index. Uruguay ranks 7th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 45.2 points (November 2026 edition).
As of 10 November 2026, 19:55 GMT.
Uruguay’s president has reversed his health ministry’s decision in a case that has shaken trust in how the country polices its doctors. Yamandú Orsi restored a five-year ban on practising medicine for anesthetist Inés Miralles, Uruguayan media reported on Tuesday 10 November 2026.
Miralles was convicted of manslaughter over the death of paediatrician Soledad Barrera. The health ministry, led by Minister Cristina Lustemberg, had cut her professional ban from five years to three in October 2025.
What Orsi Decided
The resolution reverses the ministry’s decision and sets the ban back at five years, Uruguayan media reported on 10 November. They say it followed a report from the health ministry’s legal division to the presidency.
The ban had been contested since the ministry cut it. In September, Lustemberg said the paediatrician’s mother had asked the executive to revoke the reduction, and that Miralles had a separate challenge before the administrative court.
Why the Case Became a Political Fight
After appearing before a Senate health committee on Tuesday 16 June 2026, Lustemberg said the three-year term matched past ministry practice. She said she did not favour Miralles and did not know her.
She said the sanction rested on four breaches: irregular intubation, leaving the operating theatre without telling anyone, a delayed move to intensive care, and missing clinical records for several days. She added that suspicions about controlled-drug records and possible drug use were not weighed, for lack of objective proof.
Members of the ministry’s honorary public-health commission, the body that had imposed the original ban, resigned after the reduction became known. National Party politicians had already demanded Lustemberg’s resignation in June.
What It Means for You
For residents and expats in Uruguay, the case shows that a doctor’s licence can be restricted after a conviction, and that a president can overturn a minister. Nothing in the reports changes what patients or insurers must do.
The dispute is also a test of the Orsi government’s record on accountability, which we assessed in
Orsi’s divided report card. Our Uruguay hub tracks the next steps, and our Montevideo guide explains the health system for newcomers.
What Is Not Known
We have not read the resolution itself, so its exact wording and date are unconfirmed. We do not know whether Miralles will challenge it or how the administrative court will rule.
It is also unclear how the review by a university anesthesiology unit, which Lustemberg described in June, fits with the new ban. Our report on
Uruguay’s 22 November social security vote covers the other political test on the calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did President Orsi decide about Inés Miralles?
He restored a five-year ban on her practising medicine, reversing the health ministry’s cut to three years. Uruguayan media reported the decision on 10 November 2026.
Who is Inés Miralles?
She is an anesthetist convicted of manslaughter over the death of paediatrician Soledad Barrera. Uruguayan reports say the court sentence was two years.
Why had the ban been reduced?
Health Minister Cristina Lustemberg said three years matched past ministry practice and that she did not favour Miralles. After a Senate health committee hearing on 16 June 2026, she said she did not know her.
Can Miralles still challenge the ban?
In September, Lustemberg said Miralles had a challenge pending before the administrative court. We cannot confirm its current status.
Sources
Source: presidential resolution on the Miralles case as reported on 10 November 2026 (resolution text not read by us); Health Minister Cristina Lustemberg’s statements to the Senate health committee, 16 June 2026, and in a public interview, 24 September 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error